Shoe-lace fastener



June 30, 1925. 1,544,225 J. DE BARROS SHOE LACE FASTENER Filed Aug, 28. 1924 Patented June 30, 1925.

UNITED STATES 1,544,225 PAT T 3 .rosn m nnnnos; OFSACRAMENTO; c'nnrronnmf SHOE-LACE FLASTENER.

Application filed August 28, 1924.; Serial 170. 734,628.

T 0. all: whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Josn DE :BARnosa citizen of the United States, residing 1 at Sacramento, in the county of Sacramento and State of California, have lnvented new and useful Improvements in: Shoe-Lace Fasteners, of which the following is a specification. v

This invention. relatesto devices adapted to receive and retain the ends of a bow-knot with, which the ends of a shoe lace maygbe tied.

It is. an object ofathis, invention to provide a cheap, simple and durable device adapted 1 to be readily attached to a shoe top, which will receive and resiliently retain the ends of the bow-knot so as to prevent flapping of these ends, resulting in the knot becoming Y untied.

view which will be made manifest in the following detailed description and pointed out in the appended claims, reference is had to the accompanying drawings for an illustrative embodiment of the invention, Wherein:

Figure l is a perspective view of a shoe to which my improved device has been applied,

Fig. 2 is a section taken substantially upon the line 22 of Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of my improved shoe lace fastener,

Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the shoe lace fastener shown in Fig. 3, and

Fig. 5 is a vertical section taken substantially upon the line 55 of Fig. 3.

Referring to the accompanying drawings wherein similar reference characters designate similar parts throughout, a shoe, generally designated at S, is provided with an opening behind which is disposed a tongue 11. Apertures or eyelets 12 are secured adjacent to the sides of the opening 10 through which may be threaded the shoe lace 13.

Shoe laces are usually tied in bow-knots with the ends of the knot extending away from the sides of the opening 10. My improved device for receiving and resiliently retaining the ends E of the bow-knot consists of a cylindrical body portion 15 which may have its outer surface rounded, as at 16. A. tubular shank 17 is formed integral with the body portion 15 and is adapted to be. passed through apertures 18. in the shoe top and have its end spun ver, as at 19, so as to secure the shoe lacefastener to the shoe top. A. diametrical slot 20 is formed in thebody portion 15 and extends downwardly from the top thereof. This-slot 2t) isadapted to receive the ends Ev ofthe shoe lace 13. I

I provide means for resiliently-c retaining the ends E, which consists of'a: pair-of spring members 21 and" 22;- which have body portions 23 and 24 parallel. withand held in spaced relation to' thesides 25.;and126} of the slot'20'. The ends of the spring members 21 and 22 are bent, as at 27 and 28, and are imbedded in the sides 25 and 26 of the slot 20. These spring members 21 and 22 are preferably formed of sheet material having considerable resiliency, or its equivalent. When the bow-knot is tied the ends E may be placed over the slot 20 and pressed downwardly therein. These ends E will slip by the bent-over portions 27 of the spring members 21 and 22 and pass downwardly within the slot 20 to a position opposite the body portions 23 and 24. Although the ends E may pass by the bent portions 27, it will readily be understood that when the ends E are opposite the body portions 23 and 24,'they may be twisted or placed opposite one another so as to slightly spread the body portions 23 and 24 forcing th'ese body portions towards the sides .25 and 26. The body portions 23 and 24 therefore serve to resiliently receive and retain the ends E of the shoe lace 13.

One of the shoe lace fasteners may be mounted upon the shoe S and receive all of the ends of the bow-knot. However, in the preferred form of construction, I find it desirable to place a fastener upon each side of the opening 10, each fastener receiving and resiliently retaining a set of ends E of the bow-knot;

It will be understood that various changes in the detail of construction may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A device of the class described comprising a body, means for attaching said ody to a shoe, said body having a diametrical slot formed in said body extending downward from the top thereof and adapted to receive the ends of a shoe lace, and

- resilient means disposed Within said slot for retainingsaid ends therein.

2. A device of the class described com-- prising a body having aslot formed therein, means for securing the body to a shoe top, there being resilient members'disposed Within said slot adjacent the sides thereof for retaining the ends of a shoe lace in the,slot,-

each resilient member having its ends secured to the body and having its center sides of the slot.

portion disposedin spaced relation tothe thereof for retaining said portions of. the shoe lace in the slot. I

"4. A'device of the class described com prising a body, means for securing said body to a shoe top, said body having a diametrt' cal slot formed therein extending down- Wardly from the top thereof adapted to re ceive the ends of a shoe lace, and spring members disposed yvithin said slot, said members having body portions held in spaced relation to the sides of said slot and ends imb'edded therein, said spring members ivardly, means for securing the bodyto av shoe top, and a resilient member disposed Within said slot having its center portion disposed in spaced relation to the sides of the slot and its ends secured thereto, said resilient member serving to rele'asably retain portions of a shoe lace placed in the slot.

In testimonywhereof I havesigned my name to this specification. JOSE DE BARROS. 

